As a bride-to-be, finding your dream wedding dress can be one of the most exciting aspects of the wedding planning process. From gathering your girls for a day of glam, bubbles, and a bridal fashion show with no one other than you as the model, the day could not be more fun! But what if you live in a small town that's miles, or even hours, away from a bridal boutique or even a chain store?

Fear not, because there are a few ways to get creative with the dress-finding process.

Find Online Companies Who Fill This Need
A fun new retail trend, which plays off of the above tip of trying dresses on at home - but with a twist, is trying on multiple samples at home through participating retailer's programs! Companies such as Floravere and BHLDN offer to send you as many sample styles as you wish for free with any purchase. By adding all of your favorite dresses to your cart online, it is essentially the same as thumbing through gowns in a boutique.

Once your box of dresses arrives, you and your gals can plan the day around playing with different dresses in the comfort of your own home! Once you find "the one," send the samples back to the retailer and customize your favorite gown. Who wouldn't love a custom try-on session in your own home? Pretty cool, right?

Order and Try On at Home
Utilize larger retailer's free shipping and free returns online policy. Retailers such as David's Bridal and Nordstrom's Wedding Suite all offer this to their customers, so grab your girls and start online shopping! You can start small by ordering a single dress you've had your eye on, or order 2-3 dresses to get you started.

Having at least this many options (ideally all of the different shapes that match your ideal gown) will aid you in narrowing down a silhouette. Find your dream dress online then take it to a local seamstress if alterations are needed.

Make a Day Out of It
Make sure you're prepared with heels, undergarments and even jewelry you might want to wear to help you get a better idea of what the dress could look like. If your mom and friends are in the same town as you, make a day of it, just like you would a regular dress shopping trip. Imagine a day filled with mimosas and pastries at home, trying on dresses and dreaming about your wedding day with your favorite people. Sounds like a fancy-filled day perfect to kick off the rest of the planning process!

Style Me Pretty Contributor - Erica Chambers is a freelance writer and blogger at Styles by the C. After living in New York City, she has made her permanent residence along the white sandy beaches of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida with her new husband and fur child, Maxwell. When she isn't working, you'll find her exploring local brunch spots or designing a nursery for her and her husband's first child, Leo.